


Alternative Worlds

by KameronWolf666



Series: Coolatta-Sheppard household fics [1]
Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half-Life, Half-Life but the AI is Self Aware
Genre: Adrian also uses He/They, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alyx is 19, American Sign Language, Angst, Arguing, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Flirting, Bad Jokes, Bad Puns, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Everyone Is Gay, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Feet jokes will be happening constantly during most scenes with Feetman, Found Family, Freemind and Barmey might show up later, Gaming, He/They for Tommy, It will get a little bloody later on, Nonbinary Benrey (Half-Life), Panic Attacks, Play Fighting, Post-Canon, Post-Half-Life: Alyx, Sibling Bonding, Some characters won't show up till later, Takes place after both HL:Alyx & HLVRAI, The Void, Trans Tommy Coolatta, Underage Drinking, Weird Plot Shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:49:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29555196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KameronWolf666/pseuds/KameronWolf666
Summary: Alyx Vance finds herself in the void after a horrible day. After spending what could be an eternity in it, she is dragged out by a man in army clothes. Left alone, she finds herself in a house full of people who are so close to what she left behind. Will she find her old life? Or will she be stuck in the new one she finds herself in?
Series: Coolatta-Sheppard household fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2171367
Kudos: 10





	Alternative Worlds

Alyx was left sobbing in the void, nothing around her. No soft breeze, no sounds of Russel chatting in her ear, nothing. There was nothing around her. There was nothing here, where she was. She was truly alone.  
The one purpose she had found for herself was gone, Gordon was gone.. God.. Gordon. The man she had heard about for years she hadn't even been able to meet, she saw him though. Short hair, the back buzzed down to his neck. His glasses where crooked, the lenses cracked. He was the person she had heard about her entire life.

And now he was gone

Suddenly a blinding lights came from behind her, cracking in places and filling the dark void around her with seeping white essence. Alyx turned, immediately throwing her arm up to shields her eyes. Finally when it dimmed, there was a person where the blinding lights had been. From what she could see it was a young man, around her age. He had a gas mask covering his face, his clothes sharing the same aesthetic. His pant leg was soaked in blood and rapped up hastily. "H- Hello? Who are you?" The man started walking towards her, a slight limp as he stumbled. "Did you hear me? I said who are you?" Alyx stepped back, balling her fist defensively. The man stopped, quickly throwing his hand out towards her "c.. c-c- come w- with me.." his voice was gruff, yet still so similar to hers, in tone at least. Carefully she grabbed his hand, letting him lead her back the way he came, beyond the void.

Suddenly, they where in an old 60s esq home or what she assumed was one based on the old stories. They where standing in a Kitchen, black and white tiles with dark marble isle tops, it all seemed so... Old- and expensive. The man dropped her hand, going past the kitchen door into the depths of the house. Where... Where had he taken her? She looked around the Kitchen for clues, but the only thing she could find where picture frames. Mostly filled with a young boy and his... Parents? Or at least maybe his father. There was a photo with the man in the fancy suits (the kids father probably), the kid in the middle and... A women. Dark hair, lighter skin, and a necklace with a- wait what the fuck? That- that was Alyx's mom's necklace. The women in the photo was wearing her mom's necklace! It even had the fucking engraving on it! Where was she? Where did that dude take her?

**_WHAT THE FUCK WAS HAPPENING??_ **

Then a hand pulled at the back of her jacket, she stumbled back, smashing her shoulder into the wall on accident. A hand waved past her face then a small, yet so conserned voice yelled to a person (whom Alyx couldn't see) "ADRIAN- um- A- Adrian- are you uh, are you sure she's real? L- like a real person?" The tall man walked to the kitchen door frame to yell out into the large living room. Alyx could only hear the tall man speak so she was pretty much just a one sided accidental ease drop.

"Wh- what? W- what do you mean she just- showed up? Like- in the house or-?.... Oh" The tall man leaned against the door frame, his hands fidgeting. He accidentally makes eye contact with her, suddenly ducking down so he doesn't have to make eye contact with her. Alyx's mouth is dry as she pulls up the courage to ask "Where am I? Where did that dude take me?" The tall man gets up walking towards her, pushing his hand out so she can... Shake hands? She grip his and shakes. He looks- confused?

"Uhm- can you let-" you let go and push your hands into your jean pockets "uhm- yeah.. uhh th- thank you" he looks over his shoulder and signs [uncomfortable] at the person outside the kitchen. Alyx pretends she couldn't understand him signing. They kinda, sway, uncomfortably together in the kitchen, unsure of what to say next. "Uh- my name's uh- Thomas- Tommy.. Thomas Tommy Garry Coolatta. You can uh- call me Tommy though." Alyx just nods uncomfortably, should she- oh.. she should introduce herself. "I'm Alyx Vance" she caught him staring at her with a puzzled expression "like- your name is- are you.. vance? Are you related to Eli Vance?" she nods

"oh my god- I- uh I gotta call him- he's been looking for you y'know!" His eyes go wide as he pulls her towards a... What the hell is that?? It's a thin little screen attached to a small keyboard-? Where's the computer towers...? He types in something, then opens a weird program clicking on a file...? Maybe? With the name Eli Vance, it makes a ringing sound until finally the screen is filled with the face of Alyx's dad. 

"Thomas! Oh it's good to talk to you, But it's Sunday..? Is something wrong with the sample?" Alyx could see her dad, he looked calmer, happier. He was wearing a MIT sweater, a different one from the one he gave Alyx years ago. "Oh- No!! Mr. Vance the sample is fine, It's just that a uh. Emergency regarding something important has come up, Don't worry though!! It's just that-"

"whats wrong Tommy? What is happening? Does your dad need me to come over-?" Tommy stumbled slightly "No- No- it's uh- no its- that- uhm-" Alyx pushed back Tommy to look at her dad through the camera "Dad. I'm safe"  
"Oh my god... Alyx, It's... It's been such a long time"   
"What do you mean dad? It- I just got taken. I saved you! The man- in the suit took me, and put me in the void!"  
"Alyx-" "how long has it been" "Alyx you don't understand-"

_"HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?"_

"You where, maybe eight? during the resisence cascade, it's been... A year since then. But even then, Alyx, your age doesn't make sense. I think.. if he.. took you, you've been away for many years"   
Alyx shifted uncomfortably, God she missed the sounds of someone talking in her headset "Dad..?" Her dad looked at the screen "Yes baby?"   
"I missed you so much"  
"I missed you too... So, so.. much.."  
Tommy leaned forward so the camera was barely on his face "uh- not to uhm, interrupt but, I kinda gotta get back to work so could you um. Get going-?" They both shot him evil looks "Alyx.. how about you, wait until Monday? I can get you a visitor pass and you can come down to the labs and we can talk, but for now.. you might want to get used to the future." Alyx nodded, her dad was right. This world she needed to get used to if she wanted to see her dad again. Tommy ended the call and closed his computer.

"So... Your.. from a different world aren't you?"

That started a very weird conversation which went on for what felt like hours until there was a knock on the door. She went to get up when Tommy grabbed her arm to push her down into her seat. She settled back in, and looked at the door as a pale dude with messed black hair and a beanie fazed through the front door. She watched him as he settled into his home, he tossed his dirty sneakers off by the front door. Walking through the hallway he made his way to the living room (where Alyx and Tommy was) tossing his 'gamestop' bag by the TV, throwing himself on to the lounge chair. 

He only looked up from his phone when he heard Alyx lean over to whisper to Tommy "who- who is that gu-" suddenly she was hit with red, literal red. It went everywhere, it burned.. it burned bad! She flinched trying to hop over the couch when she heard Tommy yell "BENREY- STOP!! SHES A GUEST!!" he grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the couch, staring daggers into the smaller man. The man spit out a few colors that she couldn't read, but they where probably as agressive as the last. She leaned forward to look harder when Tommy elbowed her side. "Ow what the-" "It means he's sorry" "oh" and like that they sat in silence, it was more to keep the peace than anything.

At some point Alyx had leaned on Tommy, which ended up with Alyx laying in Tommys lap while the TV blared about some crap she didn't care about. Benrey, as she found out he's named, started playing on what he described to her as 'PSP'. Sometimes he'd pass it over to so she could play some of whatever you'd call the gory mess that she ended up perfecting. The creeky sounds came from the steps as the tired man in the worn out gas mask came downstairs. Benrey looked up excitedly

**_"YOOOO!! ADRIAN!! IS FORZEN UP?"_ **

Adrian flicked his gaze towards the stairs "yea- but he's uh, busy. b- been uh, playing Call Of Duty since noon" Benrey deflated slightly, going back into his layed back position on the lounge chair. Adrian flopped in front of couch Alyx and Tommy where on, he leaned up a bit to ask the Tommy something. He nodded and got up, leaving Alyx with Adrian sitting basically by her feet. She could near the backdoor unlock and swing open as Tommy yelled for something, or someone.

Then, suddenly a big yellow dog bounded into the room, lunging for Adrian. The Dog, whose name is Sunkist, is now leaning her head on Adrian's lap. Even with her being a world she didn't know, these... These people where nice. She started to really like them, maybe, just maybe, she could become their friends. Maybe they could even help her get home.. to her- she stopped herself. This is not the time to think about that. God she's... She's hungry. The last time she ate was about 4-5 hours before she had met.. G-Man.. but Alyx wasn't sure how long she had been in the void. "So.. what- what do you guys do for food?" 

Alyx soon learned, that these people, are kinda crazy but in... Maybe a good way??  
After a long dinner of mostly sobbing after she tried a KitKat, Alyx was tired. So tired that when the group went to watch TV she passed out. Alyx's eyes cracked open, see scanned the room.. where was she again? She couldn't remember to be honest, she remembers waking up and going out and seeing Russell and- oh. Yeah. Alyx remembers what happened. She leaned up, noting that a blanket was draped around her. That was nice of them.. somethin was wrong about the room though, nothing looked out of place.. but there was something- oh. There was a note, cleanly written and pressed on fancy paper, like they made before the 7 hour war. Her hand unfolded it, making sure the paper stayed nice. 

_"Dear Ms.Vance_

_I see that you have finally made it over, I hope your trip over went smoothly but that would be out of my... Reach. Now, According to my... Household... You have been a great addition to our, roster. If you do not mind, I got you a... Present. To say the least._  
_Try to open it carefully please, I wouldn't want you to accidentally ruin the precious item in it. Take_ _care, Ms.Vance_

_\- Mr. Coolatta"_

Ah, so that's what the other thing wrong with the room, sitting next to wear the note previously sat was a small gift box.  
The package held a small photo of a younger Alyx, she didn't know how he got it but... It did make her feel better. Like she was somehow closer to her father than she'd known. Maybe if she got some sleep she could figure out a plan and everything would be okay


End file.
